David Clay tells us, in his letter of May 6, that “Dams must go” in order for the stored silt to flow to the ocean and replenish our beaches. Presumably, he’s referring to the Rindge dam in Malibu creek. Blowing the dam could create several problems. It could send a wall of silt raging down the canyon, burying the homes and shopping center in Cross Creek, and it would create a debris field in the creek bed which, of course, would upset the environmentalists. Removing the debris would mean months of dump trucks and heavy equipment jamming Z traffic on Malibu Canyon Road.
Another way would be to release the silt gradually by cutting holes equipped with sluice gates through the base of the dam. The silt would be released only when the water flow in the creek is strong enough to take it to the ocean where it will be swept away by the California Current to replenish the beaches to the South. This way the silt is cleared, the cost is minimized and the historic dam remains. One problem is that the dam is located about 3 miles from the beach and outside of the City of Malibu so, presumably, the city would have no jurisdiction over its fate. Our city attorney could comment on this.
Jack Singleton